It is one game from the Super Bowl for the final four teams in the NFL playoffs, and as the Patriots, Chiefs, Saints, and Rams prepare for their respective conference championship games, here is a look at the Injury Report.
Rams Gurley continues to deal with knee
The Los Angeles Rams should have Todd Gurley on the field and ready to go in Sunday’s NFC Championship game against the New Orleans Saints, but Gurley continues to be dealing with a knee injury that has been an issue for much of the season. Gurley looked like his usual self in the Rams divisional round win against the Cowboys, but with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, the Rams will want Gurley playing at a high level. Malcolm Brown is out, so the Rams will most likely ride Gurley and CJ Anderson who had a solid performance against the Cowboys in the backfield on Sunday. Other key players the Rams will be without Cooper Kupp (wide receiver) and Dominique Easley (defensive end) who are both out with significant knee injuries.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs added three injuries during their big win against the Indianapolis Colts in the Divisional round. Safety Eric Berry suffered a heel injury while running back Spencer Ware left the game with a hamstring injury. Dorian O’Daniel hobbled off with an ankle/ calf injury. All three are listed as questionable for the Chiefs AFC Championship game against New England on Sunday night. The Ware injury may not be an issue as Damian Williams looks set to be the workhorse back and definitely proved he can be the guy in the backfield for the Chiefs. A good sign for the Chiefs receiving core is that Sammy Watkins played 76 of 82 snaps against the Colts which marked his first action since week 11. Watkins foot injury shouldn’t be an issue on Sunday. Kelvin Benjamin was inactive against the Colts in the divisional round and there is no word if the receiver will be part of the line-up for KC when they square off with Tom Brady and the Patriots on Sunday, he missed the game due to a coach’s decision so it is truly injury related, but still something to keep an eye on.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints lost a very significant member of their defensive line in their six-point win against the Eagles in their Divisional match-up. Defensive Tackle Sheldon Rankins (ankle) will be out the rest of the season, Rankins was a key piece of their defensive front and will be missed as the Saints square off in Los Angeles with the Rams for a shot at the Super Bowl. The Saints shouldn’t have any other significant injuries to report at this time, but with a big match-up on the road, more injuries could come up. Rankins injury was an unwelcome sight to see especially for the Saints fans, as Rankins was a major part of the Saints strong defense this season.
New England Patriots
Deatrich Wise Jr is questionable for Sunday for the New England Patriots with an ankle injury. Wise missed the Patriots game against the Chargers, and it doesn’t look like he will be ready to go on Sunday. It is a sprained ankle that is keeping Wise out of the line-up for New England. The Patriots are still without six other players who are out or on injured reserve. Those players are Jacob Hollister (hamstring), Braxton Berrios (undisclosed), Jeremy Hill (knee), Isaiah Wynn (Achilles), Ja’Whaun Bentley (shoulder), and Eric Rowe (groin). Wide Receiver Josh Gordon remains on suspension, and will most likely not see any more action this season. New England could be in for a big shootout against the highly explosive offensive of the Kansas City Chiefs.
